The annual migration might be a bit different this year. Even though the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has room for 7,100 students on campus, the waiting lists for suite-style rooms are getting longer.

Freshmen are required to live in university housing, but it isn’t just underclassmen looking to live closer. Why? “Students that live closer to campus usually do better academically,” said school chancellor Harvey Perlman.

A new housing venture called The 50/50 has one of the lengthiest waiting lists. Sporting a full kitchen, washer and dryer and optimal location, the new living complex is luring students to the edge of campus.

“Having the option of living close and being able to walk is a really convenient factor,” said UNL senior Sarah Petsche.

The facility has already reached its capacity of 475 students. Even with the newest hall in university housing, Eastside Suites, opening 521 beds this year, there’s still a surplus of students looking to live on campus. The university has to reopen 150 beds in an old dorm that was taken offline just to keep up with requests.

“We have a strong demand for housing,” Perlman said. “We think our enrollment is going to be very strong this year.”

Perlman isn’t kidding. Last year the university saw the largest incoming class in three decades. Moving to the Big Ten Conference has UNL considering new objectives for enrollment -- goals that include increasing admissions at the university to 30,000 students by 2020.

With the university not planning any more new housing projects on campus in the near future, finding an apartment close to class may continue to be a challenge.

“It's pretty competitive,” Petsche said. “I know coming in as a freshman to get a dorm you wanted you had to put in pretty far in advance.”

IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.. UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA STUDENTS MAKE THEIR ANNUAL MIGRATION BACK TO LINCOLN. AND EVEN WITH CAMPUS HOUSING FOR 71-HUNDRED STUDENTS.. FOR SOME SUITE-STYLE ROOMS. K-E-T-V NEWSWATCH SEVEN'S ANDREW OZAKI HAS DETAILS ON THE UNIVERSITY'S HOUSING CRUNCH..IN THIS NEW STORY AT SIX. UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA SENIOR SARAH PETSCHE GETS A PEAK OF HER NEW APARTMENT THIS YEAR.( Sarah Petsche: Nice view of downtown.) THE NEW 50-50 HIGH RISE... WITH ITS FULL KITCHEN... EVEN WASHER AND DRYER... LURED PETSCHE AWAY FROM HER APARTMENT IN NORTHWEST LINCOLN TO THE EDGE OF CAMPUS.( Sarah Petsche: So having the option of living close and being able to walk is a really convenient factor. ) FRESHMEN ARE REQUIRED TO LIVE IN UNIVERSITY HOUSING THEIR FIRST YEAR...BUT MORE OTHER UPPER CLASS STUDENTS LIKE PETCSHE ARE CHOOSING TO BY. EVEN WITH THE NEW 521 BED EAST SIDE SUITES OPENING UP... THE UNIVERSITY STILL HAS TO RE-OPEN 150 BEDS IN AN OLD STYLE DORM TAKEN OFFLINE JUST TO KEEP UP WITH DEMAND.( nat snd: one, two, three snip. ) THAT'S WHY UN-L'S CHANCELLOR WELCOMED THIS PRIVATE HOUSING VENTURE THAT THE UNIVERSITY USED TO SEE AS FULL ... ACCOMODATING 475 STUDENTS INCLUDING PETSCHE AND HER ROOMATES.( Chancellor Harvey Perlman: We have a strong demand for housing. We know that live closer to campus usually do better academically so this fits in THAT INCLUDE INCREASING ENROLLMENT AT THE FLAGSHIP CAMPUS TO 30-THOUSAND STUDENTS BY 2020. LAST YEAR SAW THE LARGEST INCOMING FRESHMEN CLASS IN 3 DECADES.( Perlman: We think our enrollment is going to be very strong this year. ) T AND WITH THE UNIVERSITY NOT PLANNING ANY MORE NEW HOUSING ON IT CAMPUS IN THE NEAR FUTURE... FINDING AN APARTMENT CLOSE TO CLASS COULD CONTINUE TO BE A HOT TICKET.( Sarah Petsche: it's pretty competitve I know a dorm you wanted you had to put in pretty far in advance. ) IN LINCOLN, ANDREW OZAKI KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN. HOUSING COSTS AT U-N-L WENT UP FOUR AND A HALF PERCENT THIS YEAR. THAT RANKS ABOUT EIGHTH AMONGST SUITES..THERE'S A WAITING LIST OF 250-PEOPLE. ONE HUNDRED PEOPLE ARE WAITING TO GET INTO UNIVERSITY APARTMENTS.

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